1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to educational information systems for creating and distributing syndicated content; more particularly, to a database of questions and answers covering a myriad of parenting topics in a broadly accessible virtual manual format.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Child rearing and development today presents challenges somewhat different than those addressed by our parents and grandparents. Previous generations could rely on a large familial support system (i.e., the nuclear family) for help with child-rearing and other family issues. Today""s care-givers, including parents, nannies, baby-sitters, teachers, nurses, and the like, do not enjoy the benefits afforded by this singular resource for valuable advice. A particularly advantageous feature provided by the nuclear family, and frequently missing today, is the ability to solicit and consider a variety of views on a particular issuexe2x80x94views that come from personal experience, subject matter experts (i.e., grandparents), and various other sources. This opportunity for consideration of divergent views on an issue better equips the caregiver to develop an informed decision on how best to handle that issue.
Information is presently available for a wide variety of child-rearing and development issues. The quantum of literature addressing these issues becomes readily apparent upon perusal of library or bookstore shelves. Some of the literature deals with specific issues in excruciating detail (e.g., toilet training). Other literature addresses a whole host of subjects (e.g., the toddler years). A major problem with such literature is the tendency for presentation of singular points of view, typically the authors"". These one size fits all presentations do not apply to child rearing and development. For this endeavor, numerous views concerning each issue afford far greater value to the caregiver. Literature references which are comprehensive enough to address the numerous issues important to each care-giver, and which offer a variety of views on these important issues, i.e., a xe2x80x9cchild""s user guidexe2x80x9d, are virtually non-existent owing to the myriad of variables involved.
There remains a need in the art for a method and means for providing caregivers with access to multi-facetted points-of-view for the child-rearing and development issues that are most important to the caregivers.
The present invention provides a method for providing to a user answer-options to issue-questions relating to child development. The method comprises the steps of identifying a plurality of topics relating to child development based upon predetermined criteria; developing and recording a plurality of issue-questions directed to each of the identified child development topics; developing and recording an expert opinion for each issue-question; developing and recording a parent-expert opinion for each issue-question; selecting a topic; selecting an issue-question directed to the selected topic; and communicating a plurality of answer-options to the selected issue-question, the plurality of answer-options comprising at least one expert opinion and one parent-expert opinion and being communicated orally, in writing, or electronically. The present invention may be used with or without the aid of a general-purpose computer.
In another aspect of the present invention, information concerning child development is developed and stored as at least one database (obviously, more than one database may also be used in connection with the present invention) in a memory storage device of a general purpose computer as first and second data sets containing topics and issue-questions related thereto. The information is accessed from these data sets by selectively combining an issue-question with at least one topic to produce a primary information product. A program means associated with the data sets modifies the primary information product by imposing thereon a plurality of answer-options to the selected issue-question. Each of the answer-options comprises at least one expert opinion and one parentexpert opinion, stored in third and fourth data sets. The imposition of answer-options on the information product produces a polycentric information product, which is readily communicated to the caregiver or user of the present invention by oral, written or electronic means.